The current E. Coli outbreak that has happened at Costco has reported to be caused by "tainted produce" traced to the ingredients mixed with their Chicken Salad.
A state public health lab in Montana has resolved the Costco E. coli outbreak. Namely the onion and celery mix as stated by Craig Wilson, assistant food safety chief for Costco. The onion and celery mix came from and was made by Taylor Farms in Salinas, California. Although Costco also used ingredients from other suppliers they may have also used the same ingredients that were in the packages from Taylor Farms, Wilson stated.
So what is E.coli? What does the E. in E. coli mean? Escherichia coli or E. coli is a gram-negative bacteria that is a specie of a rod-shaped anaerobic bacteria, anaerobic meaning it doesn't need air to survive. It is found in the large intestine of humans and other animals. Most strains of E.Coli are harmless or cause brief diarrhea, but a few particular strains, such as E. coli O157:H7 can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. This bacteria strain produces a toxin called verotoxin, also is referred to as E. coli(VTEC).
E. coli O157:H7 can be commonly found in cattle and poultry, and outbreaks have been associated with cattle and bovineproducts. There have previous incidents of contamination from unpasteurized apple juice, hamburger meat, radish sprouts, lettuce, and potatoes, to name a few and as well as other food sources.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the outbreak has sickened 19 people in seven states: California, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Five people have been reported to been hospitalized, two of them have suffered hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Which can lead to serious complications, like heart problems, stroke or even coma.
With the people that are affected, in California, Virginia and Missouri, offiicials still can't say if these are connected to the contaminated Costco rotisserie chicken salad. It hasn't been confirmed yet. We still will have to wait for further developments.
